The Return of 90s Fashion: 5 Key Looks for 2012

Most of us look back on the 1990s era and cringe over the clothing we wore. Although we can only hope that the likes of bum bags (or fanny packs), hair scrunchies, Kappa tracksuit bottoms with the ‘popper’ fasteners down the length of each leg, ridiculously baggy jeans and the abysmal graphic tees worn by the likes of Fresh Prince Will Smith and Melissa Jon Hart (in Clarissa Explains It All - pictured above) will never be stylish once more, there are several 90s looks that will at the fashion forefront as we enter the summer season.

Here are the five 90s aesthetics set to make the biggest comeback this quarter:

#1: Neon Colours

Neon colours were prevalent in the 1990s and recently such bright hues have made quite the comeback. Whereas some celebrities such as Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and Nicki Minaj (pictured above) are choosing to wear such colours in their hair, dazzling accessories such as tights, handbags and heels are also very much in vogue.

Bright makeup is also bang on trend right now; designers Manish Arora, Vivienne Westwood, Louise Gray and Paul Costelloe decorated their models with neon eye shadow for the showcasing of their spring/summer 2012 collections.

I wouldn’t recommend embracing the neon look from head-to-toe though! It is a much wiser idea to team bright garments with contrasting dark basics, especially if you are a little unsure about embracing the trend.

#2: Crop Tops

You’d better start doing plenty of stomach crunches if you want to get in on the revival of the crop top! It seemed like every female pop star was showing off their midriff in the 90s including every member of the Spice Girls, Britney Spears (pictured above) and No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani. Contemporary chart toppers such as Katy Perry, Cher Lloyd and Jessie J (also pictured above) have already been seen sporting crops, as have actresses Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez.

Just some of the designers favouring bare bellies on the S/S ’12 catwalk included Versace, D&G and Prada.

Prevent yourself from looking like a 90s throwback – and cover some of your shame – by donning a cropped top that hangs on – or just below – the belly button region.

#4: Chokers

Chokers were a popular accessory in the 90s, with many opting for the springy tattoo-look variant which can be seen in the first above image. Thankfully that trend is yet to return but the choker is making a comeback in the form of velvet, a style which you can see Salma Hayek and other celebrities wearing above.

The return of the choker is hardly surprising considering how often these short necklaces appeared on the S/S catwalk this year. Donna Karen was one such designer that favoured the look, as did Charlotte Ronson and Elie Tahari.

Remember; although chokers are in, bulging neck rolls are not and so you should probably avoid the trend if your neck is less than slender.

#3: Platform Shoes

Platform shoes are another 90s movement that we can probably blame on the Spice Girls. The five members were all wearing platforms during the height of the group’s fame; Posh favoured wedge heels whilst Sporty and Scary donned towering trainers. This time round, platform shoes are – in my opinion – much more stylish.

Almost all designers parading their new collections earlier this year favoured meaty soles; models for Vivienne Westwood, Jean Paul Gaultier, Marc Jacobs and Christian Dior (pictured above) all teetered down the runway wearing platforms.

The 90s saw brightly coloured platform shapes clashed with contrasting hues. The contemporary twist sees such footwear matched to the rest of the outfit making the extreme height of the shoes seem less in-your-face.

#5: Headscarves

The further mainstreaming of the Hip Hop, RnB and grunge movements in the 90s saw the associated fashion also gain popularity. Whereas full head wraps became favoured by many (largely foolish looking) men, hippy and afro chic chicks instead tied smaller scarfs and rags into their barnets, something that the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Nicole Richie and Rihanna (pictured above) have started to do recently.

About Guest Blogger

This post was written by a guest contributor for Pasazz.net. Please see their details in the post above. Would you like to guest post for Pasazz.net? If so, please get in touch with us using this form.